subject: Vertical Windmill Kit V . Horizontal Wind Turbine Kit [print this page] You need to compare the differences in the vertical wind turbine kit and the horizontal wind turbine kit before you buy one. The distinctions are sharp although the end result is of course the same - usable electricity.
The 2 basic kinds of wind turbines out there come in kit form, both the vertical and the horizontal.
But, does it make any difference what kind you buy and what are the key things that separate them?
Actually, there are several factors you need to consider before moving forward to look at actual devices you might buy.
There is actually one thing you must do before you even begin though. Many people miss it and just jump forward to the purchase and end up regretting it later.
That step is to assess what you really need - that may be a different type and look than the wind turbine you want. Many people leap based on the look of the turbine and extenuating circumstances may preclude that working out for you in your location.
What you must do is dig down to a deeper level and understand the way the wind tends to flow on your property or on your roof. That can easily be accomplished with a device called an anemometer which measures and records the wind. You can leave it in one place for a couple of weeks and download the data into a computer to see what you average.
After you check that out and decide the optimal place for your turbine from a wind perspective, you need to make sure that your local zoning office won't take issue with that choice. You can learn that by just checking in with them and asking about any restrictions that might impact your installation and any permitting that may be required.
Here are the biggest things that separate verticals from horizontals:
1. How well they turn mechanical energy into electrical energy - with a fifty five percent efficiency rating, horizontal-axis wind turbines wind in this category hands down. The most efficient vertical weighs in at about thirty five percent.
2. Installed cost - horizontal windmills are usually a good bit cheaper because the technology has been around a lot longer so there are more of them out there.Ease of work when maintenance is needed - with vertical wind turbines, most of the hardware you will need to access is near the base, so these are much easier to work on than horizontals.
3. Versatility of being able to function in different wind conditions - verticals are the clear winners here. They can operate in almost any wind and are not dependent on a steady or strong wind to start turning and making power.
Summarizing - there is no simple answer to whether you should get a vertical wind turbine kit or a horizontal wind turbine kit. You just have to match what you get to the real world conditions you have on your property.
